X-radiograph(s) of "John Barrett" 

Curator: It has the quality of a half-remembered dream, almost ghostly. Editor: This is an X-radiograph of John Singleton Copley's portrait "John Barrett," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s not the painting itself, but rather an X-ray revealing its internal structure. Curator: That explains the ethereal quality. It’s like seeing the bones of a painting, its hidden architecture. Editor: Exactly. What strikes me is the potential for examining the history embedded in the painting. What was Copley thinking, and how does this image disrupt our understanding of portraiture? Curator: It makes me think about what we choose to reveal and conceal. The history of art is the history of power, after all, but this shows its structure. Editor: True. This image really reframes the conversation, inviting us to look at not just what's on the surface, but what lies beneath. Curator: It feels like a peek behind the curtain, doesn’t it? Editor: Yes, a ghostly peek that challenges us to reconsider the narrative.